UNC suffers first series loss of season to Virginia in ACC opener
· Yahoo Sports
North Carolina dropped its first ACC series of 2026, losing two of three to Virginia at Boshamer Stadium over the weekend.
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Staring at a potential sweep in the back end of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Tar Heels (13-3-1, 1-2 ACC) rallied for a walk-off win in Game 3 to avoid an 0-3 start in league play.
The first two games told a different story. Virginia (13-3, 2-1) run-ruled UNC 13-3 in seven innings in the opener, then followed with a dominant 9-2 victory in Game 2.
Pitching staff got rocked
The pitching staff turned in its worst performance of the season in a weekend series, allowing 29 runs on 37 hits. All three starters gave up at least five runs on six hits.
Jason DeCaro had his worst outing of the season with three walks, two strikeouts, two wild pitches and a hit batter. Ryan Lynch had a decent outing with six strikeouts but allowed five earned runs in four innings.
Freshmen step up
Two freshmen had standout performances this week: pitcher Caden Glauber and outfielder Tyler Howe.
In 5.1 innings, Glauber fanned eight Virginia batters while allowing only one earned run on three hits. He is second on the team in strikeouts with 22 and has given up only four earned runs.
Howe supplied the late-inning drama. His leadoff homer in the ninth forced extras, and he later delivered the walk-off single. The corner outfielder opened the year in the starting lineup but has bounced in and out of it and appeared only briefly in Game 1.
Fellow freshman Jadyn Nunez has recently taken most of the reps in Howe’s corner spot, but a rough two-game stretch prompted a change. Howe’s clutch showing could secure him more starts.
Matthew Matthijs comes up clutch
Matthijs recorded five strikeouts while allowing only one run on one hit in the final 2 1/3 innings, setting up Howe’s eventual walk-off in game three and avoiding the series sweep. It was his first win of the season.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC baseball: Diamond Heels drops ACC series to Virginia